- As Lead City University, Ibadan PhD Law Candidate proffers solutions to industry challenges
Leading academics, industry practitioners, professional bodies, regulators and tourism stakeholders have advocated the adoption of a Hybrid Professional Governance Framework that combines statutory regulation with professional recognition as the most sustainable pathway for strengthening Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality workforce. In its welcome address, the Director-General of the National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Aare Abisoye Fagade emphasized that building a globally competitive workforce requires strong partnerships between the agency, academia, and the private sector.
The recommendation emerged during the NIHOTOUR Stakeholder Engagement Forum held on Wednesday, 15th July 2026, where Professor Wasiu Babalola, a Professor of Hotel Management and Tourism at Atiba University Oyo; legal practitioner, and PhD Candidate at the Faculty of Law, Lead City University, presented a keynote paper titled: “Strategic Roles of Industry Associations and Professional Bodies in Workforce Registration, Certification, Licensing and Sustainable Human Capital Development.” The presentation builds upon his ongoing doctoral research on, “Professional Recognition by Professional Practice: A Viable Alternative for Nigerian Tourism and Hospitality Professional Stability,” which critically examines the relationship between statutory regulation and professional self-governance within Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality sector.
Professor Babalola noted that although the NIHOTOUR Act 2022 represents a significant milestone in the professionalisation of the industry, legislation alone cannot guarantee professional stability. Rather, sustainable development requires collaboration between statutory institutions and recognised professional institutes operating within clearly defined mandates. According to him, Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality ecosystem continues to experience fragmented regulation, overlapping institutional responsibilities, inconsistent certification, weak professional identity and inadequate workforce data. These challenges, he argued, require a collaborative rather than competitive governance approach.
Drawing comparative lessons from the legal, medical, engineering, architecture and accounting professions, the presentation demonstrated that mature professions thrive where government regulators establish minimum standards while professional bodies focus on competence development, ethics, continuing professional education and peer recognition.
A major highlight of the presentation was the introduction of the Hybrid Professional Governance structure, covered under the Professional Recognition by Professional Practice (PRPP) framework. Under the proposal, credible industry professional bodies would receive formal recognition as provided under the NIHOTOUR Act 2022 to undertake continuing professional development, ethical oversight, practitioner engagement and specialised competence development, while NIHOTOUR retains responsibility for statutory regulation, certification, licensing, standards and national workforce registration.
The proposed roadmap includes:
• Recognition of credible professional bodies through PRPP;
• Delineation of professional practice areas across the tourism and hospitality sectors;
• Development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Manuals of Operations for recognised professional bodies;
• Enhancement of a National Digital Tourism and Hospitality Workforce Register;
• Competency-based certification under NIHOTOUR;
• Mandatory Continuing Professional Development through recognised professional bodies;
• Stronger collaboration between industry, academia and government; and
• Alignment with international best practices in tourism workforce development.
The presentation further emphasised that Section 4 of the NIHOTOURS Act already provides sufficient legal basis for collaboration between NIHOTOUR and professional bodies in carrying out training, certification, capacity development and other statutory functions, thereby supporting a partnership model rather than institutional rivalry.
Stakeholders at the forum welcomed the proposal as a practical framework capable of strengthening institutional cooperation, eliminating duplication of functions, enhancing workforce quality and positioning Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality industry for greater global competitiveness and suggested to NIHOTOUR for continuous engagements on the proposal towards arriving at a version that is acceptable and popular among stakeholders.
Professor Babalola concluded that “Professionalisation is strongest when statutory authority and professional recognition work together, not in competition, but in partnership.” He also acknowledged the academic support and rigorous research environment provided by the Faculty of Law, Lead City University Ibadan, noting that presenting doctoral research before both national and international audiences reflects the University’s commitment to global academic standards, research excellence and minimizing the gaps between the gown and town.